We Road-Tested Britney Spears’ Most Memorable Looks. Here’s What Happened.

Sometimes, your job calls for you to go above and beyond. To step outside your own comfort zone, rise to the occasion, test your own limits and abilities. (And all those other cliches.)

For us, this happened last week, when we slipped into a few of Britney Spears’ most iconic and daring music video ensembles—all in honor of the pop star’s December cover, of course.

First, we had to select our looks. We both agreed to tackle one of Brit Brit‘s "safer" costumes—for Elana, it was the singer’s "…Baby One More Time" schoolgirl look; for Sarah, the "Sometimes" cropped-turtleneck-and-parachute-pants combo. For the more daring getups, we settled on the "Oops!…I Did It Again" red catsuit (Elana) and the "I’m a Slave 4 U" embellished denim cutoffs and green shimmering top (Sarah), the latter look complete with requisite (plush) python.

And then we wore them around Times Square and Bryant Park, because we have no shame. And also because Lauren made us do it.

It’s not easy to shock passers-by in NYC’s busiest district, where costumes are as commonplace as Metrocards and shopping bags. But from the moment we stepped out of the Condé Nast building, heads turned. A group of tourists began snapping cell phone pictures, while construction workers asked to pose for a photo with us. The baristas at our local Starbucks made us "Britney" and "Brittany" beverages. A man patrolling 42nd Street in full Edward Scissorhands regalia even tousled Elana’s maribou-trimmed pigtails with his "blades." Approval from a fellow costumed New Yorker? We took it.

After locating the lone Britney Spears tribute photo at Times Square’s Hard Rock Café (only one, guys? Seriously?!), we headed to Madame Tussauds in search of the star’s wax incarnation. Sadly, she was "undergoing maintenance." Hmm.

Click through for our complete photo diary of the day’s events, from doing dance moves in front of the Bryant Park fountain to frightening (or enticing?) random businessmen. All in a day’s work, you guys.